CREEP 2

Creep 2 Movie Review

Our pal Josef (Mark Duplass) from the first Creep movie returns, this time experiencing a midlife crisis as he questions how much satisfaction he still receives from killing people. Much like in the first film, he places a Craigslist ad, seeking a videographer to shoot him doing...something. The ad is answered by Sara (Desiree Akhaven), a video creator trying to get views on her video blog site by producing episodes that feature unusual people. So yeah, if you've seen Creep, you know this sounds pretty much identical to that movie, and just as in that one, the videographer decides the money (or views) is worth being isolated with this madman. Interestingly, Josef calls himself Aaron in this one--that's the name of the videographer in the first film. Let me go ahead and answer the question you are likely asking...yes, Peachfuzz returns!

And he's as fuzzy as ever

One of the strengths of the original film is how real it felt--this movie still has that, but not to the same degree. Another strength was the chemistry between the two actors--this too is lost in the sequel, as Duplass can't quite capture that magic with Akhaven. This likely has a lot to do with Duplass' acting skills being far superior to Akhaven's, to the point where he more than carries the movie himself. Josef/Aaron is still awkward and bizarre, but at times this is taken far enough to border on feeling like a parody of the character we know. The movie plods along, and most unfortunately, most of it is rather predictable, right up to the ending. Allegedly, there is a third movie in the works...here's hoping that one brings some originality instead of being practically a carbon-copy of the first film. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Creep 2 Movie Trailer

THE ELF

The Elf Movie Review

Not to be confused with the James Caan modern Christmas classic Elf, this is a 2017 horror flick that is centered around Nick (Gabriel Miller), a seemingly disturbed man who inherits a toy shop...and an evil elf along with it. Much to my delight, this one stayed largely away from comedy, coming across as more of a straight horror film, something we just don't get enough of these days, and did not expect from seeing the movie poster--of course, there are some unintentionally funny moments as well.

This IS our killer, after all

If you are a fan of the old Puppet Master films, you will likely be reminded of those flicks as you watch this one--unfortunately, instead of being a cool nod to the Full Moon films, this feels more like a cheap imitation of them. The Elf is one of those films that really walks a thin line between being a good scary movie and being an absolute disaster--it walks that line straight the entire time, never becoming either. The acting is rather abysmal and odd. Miller, our lead, looks like he is acting in some local avant-garde stage production, and he's probably the best actor in the film. On the flip side, there are some cool scenes, such as the Christmas lights in the yard, and some rather unexpected moments. Those, of course, are offset by horrible CGI, and the end leaves more than just a little to be desired. The Elf is ultimately a mediocre movie, but certainly not in a boring and forgetful manner as most movies I award a 5 to.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

The Elf Movie Trailer

SHARKMAN (aka Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy)

Sharkman Movie Review

Scientist Dr. King (Jeffrey Combs, Re-Animator, Dark House) tries to save his son from cancer by turning him into a human-shark hybrid creature. Tom (William Forsythe, Halloween, Raising Arizona) and Amelia (Hunter Tylo) are the heroes trying to stop the madman and his blood-thirsty son. This movie has two things going against it right out of the boxes, and both are even worse than the plot--this is a SyFy Original, and William Forsythe is the lead AND the hero. Had I known these facts prior to starting the movie I may not have watched it, but commit to it I did, and regret doing so I do. We may think the presence of of Combs would off-set all the negativity, but he seems beyond bored with this movie, and is given little opportunity to shine. As for our shark-man, most of the time we see him it is done with super quick cuts, and we don't get a great look at him.

Here's a bad look at him

The story is as lame as you are probably thinking, and it plays out worse than you are imagining. The movie looks cheap, the acting is dreadful, the "action" scenes are lacking, and the death scenes are all a bunch of quick cuts with some blood thrown in. SyFy movies are pretty much all awful, but many are at least entertaining--Sharkman is not one of these. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 3

Sharkman Movie Trailer